Islam advocates complete separation of mosque and state. The Holy Quran does not endorse a specific form of government, but instead requires that justice oversee whatever form is used:

Verily, God commands you to make over the trusts to those entitled to them, and that, when you govern between men, you judge with justice (4:59).

Therefore, Islam recognizes that justice, not religion, is the determinative factor when governing society.

The Holy Quran categorically forbids imposition of Islamic Shariah and forbids all religious compulsion, stating, “There is no compulsion in matters of faith” (2:257). Any attempt to implement Shariah on non-Muslims would be tantamount to coercion, and therefore function in direct opposition to the Holy Quran.

In Arabic, Shariah simply means “a path” and refers to the rules and customs that guide Muslim life in aspects ranging from daily prayers to familial and financial matters. The Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa never imposed Islamic Shariah on non-Muslims. On the contrary, as the de facto ruler of Arabia, he settled disputes between Arab citizens according to their individual faiths—offering them a choice between the Jewish law, Islamic Shariah, or secular arbitration. Therefore, Islamic precedent ensures a strict separation of mosque and state, especially with matters pertaining to non-Muslim minorities.

Likewise, the Holy Quran, while addressing the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa, states, “Admonish, therefore, for thou art but an admonisher; thou art not appointed a keeper over them” (88:22-23). The Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa was accountable for the plain delivery of the message, not its imposition. Islam recognizes that like the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa, no Muslim can require others to adhere to Islam.

Islam pleads for the secular type of government more than any religion and more than any political system. The very essence of secularism is that absolute justice must be practiced regardless of the differences of faith and religion and color and creed and group. This is exactly what the Holy Quran admonishes us to do in matters of state.

Therefore, Islam recognizes that separation of mosque and state.